Colossal Squid caught near surface

[metridium]

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) -- A rare and dangerous squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and scores of razor-sharp hooks to snag its prey has been caught by fishermen off Antarctica, New Zealand scientists said on Thursday.

The half-grown female colossal squid is only the second intact example of the monster cephalopod known to have been found, said marine biologist Steve O'Shea of New Zealand's national museum

(more)

Colossal Squid Link

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<editor's note>

I've always wanted to dive Antarctica...

still do...

just close inshore!

 

[detroit diver]

M-

It was caught near the surface! Close to shore might not help!!

This one gave me the willys....

 

[metridium]

detroit diver wrote...
M-

It was caught near the surface! Close to shore might not help!!

This one gave me the willys....

Yup!

I was thinking it might want to stay near deep water, as I doubt its eyes could deal with daylight, even under the ice. So maybe I can find a nice shallow sea to dive inshore.

Great Whites (White Pointers for our Down Under friends) give me the creeps, but nothing compared to this thing.

 

[detroit diver]

I think in people's minds there is a thought that you have some chance against a shark-after all there is only one dangerous end! And maybe you can poke or stab it, or something.

With this thing, once it's near you, you're toast. Or should I say, shredded wheat! Nasty.

 

[Dectek]

I just saw the report on CNN. Makes you think of Capt. Nemo.
I was thinking that this squid my have been ill and was only near the surface because it was about to die. It will be cool to learn more about it in the coming weeks. That is if the fisherman give it up to scientists and don't consider it the mother of all bait catches.



I just read the article your link pointed to. They paint a very scary picture about coming in contact with this thing in the water.

 

[metridium]

detroit diver wrote...
With this thing, once it's near you, you're toast. Or should I say, shredded wheat! Nasty.

Shredded wheat...that's it exactly! Nice phrase, DD.

And you're right about the GWS: at least you have a chance it might miss and you can somehow escape....but not with this beastie.

 

[bwerb]

of all the hooks and suckers...it sounds absolutely vicious...

Can you imagine meeting that thing or seeing it while diving...talk about complete heart attack!

Brian

 

[metridium]

bwerb wrote...


Can you imagine meeting that thing or seeing it while diving...talk about complete heart attack!

Talk about the Warhammer Maneuver....

hey, the squid might just think you're another squid if that happens....

if it survives....

better hope it isn't a cannibal though.

Yuck.

Who'd have thunk the Warhammer Maneuver was a defense mechanism???

 

[detroit diver]

In this case is just an involuntary reaction!

 

[metridium]

Still...

a whole new dimension to the phrase....

shoot 'n' scoot